The Last Stegoceratops
by Lord Kristine
Summary: A stegoceratops discovers that she is the last of her kind.
1. First

The stegoceratops lived in a lily wood, and she lived all alone. She was old, not old enough to be wearing the brownish spots that appeared on her kind with the passing of time, but older than most, nonetheless. Her eyes were innocent and wise and bluer than the bluest ocean.

She did not look like the dinosaurs one might find in a book; indeed, she was a hybrid unknown to science, but she was also thin and lithe and fleet of foot. She differed from her own people in that she had a third horn and two graceful wings that adorned her olive back. It was funny, the stegoceratops thought, that she looked this way, only she stopped thinking about it once she realized something, but that something left her as quickly as a wisp of smoke dissolving in the wind.

It came back.

Somehow, it seemed to her that the words were not right. She asked herself what words she was thinking of, and to that, she had no answer. Or perhaps she did, because she distinctly remembered the passages being phrased differently, only she wasn't sure what passages she was referring to, and she had forgotten what she was thinking about anyway.

Her horns were sleek, so sleek that the light ran down them in unbroken lines, and her plates were the color of rust, if rust was beautiful. And as for the wings, she remembered why she had them, and then she didn't, and then she went back to grazing.

She stopped what she was doing when two men appeared in the woods, riding burly triceratops. The animals did not look like her, exactly, because they were stupid beasts, and she was much more beautiful than such simple creatures. The men came to a halt, and she remained in the shadows.

"This land has changed. Can you sense it? She's here."

"Who?"

"The stegoceratops."

"There are no stegoceratopses."

"Not anywhere else. She is the last."

The last? That couldn't be. The stegoceratops frowned in puzzlement. Where were the others? There had always been stegoceratopses. Why should they disappear, and why now? Were the men lying? Did they not know any better? Perhaps they were simply foolish, or else deluded. The stegoceratops would have liked to believe that this was the case. Belief, of course, was not always accurate.

In any case, it was a mystery that wasn't going to solve itself. She was soon on her way, walking man's road, but that wasn't quite right, because she was in the book. What book? She didn't know. Why had she thought of such a silly thing? She was sure she had a reason, and then she wasn't, and then she forgot altogether.

Along the road, she was very nearly captured by a colorful, bipedal hybrid, who mistook her for a stegosaurus. She was puzzled that he could not see her wings. And shouldn't he recognize her anyway? It seemed to her that she knew him, or at least knew someone like him outside of her dreams. But she wasn't dreaming, was she?

Was she?

Her answer came by chance when a butterfly landed on her front horn. She smiled at the insect, examining the gilded delicacy of its wings.

"Have you come to sing me a song, butterfly?" she asked.

The bug remained silent. She looked at it with worry, feeling a faint sense of dread brewing in her stomach.

"Butterfly? . . ."

It stopped beating its wings.

"You shouldn't have come here," it said, barely audible.

The stegoceratops' face fell.

"What? . . ."

"This was a mistake. You could die. The Red Entelodon is looking for you."

"What is the Red Entelodon? Why are you not singing me songs?"

"You're not in a book anymore," the butterfly whispered, "The danger here is very real. It may seem like a dream or an illusion, but don't forget that you have no mortal body while you're here. All that remains is your consciousness, so matters of the mind will destroy you. You're not safe."

The stegoceratops shook her head.

"No, I have to find them. That's why- I mean- it's not- Look, you're not following the words! You don't even know my name!"

" _You_ don't. You've forgotten. But _I_ know. I know because I've been here for far longer than you or the projections you create. Of all the people you will meet in this land, there are only three that are actually here, you being one of them. And then there are those who were already present: the ones you set out to find. Do you remember bringing them here, to the land where they can be reached? Not everyone gets a second chance. You're lucky."

"Say my name," she rumbled.

"Claire. Your name is Claire."

This made her wonder. She stopped wondering, then started again, because it seemed to her that what she was wondering was important. The thought vanished, just as the others had. But now she had a feeling. That feeling would not go away. She knew what she was here for.

"I must save the others."

"That is why you came, yes, but it won't be as simple as that," the butterfly warned her, "You have a long journey ahead of you."

"I know," the stegoceratops said, "I'm ready to face the world."

The butterfly hovered above her horn, then rose gently on the wind, which had begun to kick up.

"Good luck."

"And to you too."

"I'm not the one who needs it."

The stegoceratops did not think that she needed good luck, and perhaps if she had, she wouldn't have been so careless. She lay down to rest a few hours later, sleeping in plain sight. She did not realize how vulnerable she was until she felt a spell being cast upon her. When she woke up, she found herself behind bars.


	2. Second

The stegoceratops did not like being caged. She had been captured by a traveling carnival, which seemed twice familiar to her, and the second wave of familiarity was what she held onto, because it was different from the others. It described a truth that was more real than most of her fantasies, because it seemed to her that part of what she was trying to remember was not real, but written, which was real in a way but not quite the same thing. In any case, she was greeted by a man in a pointy hat, who gave her a shy wave.

"Hi, I'm Lowery the magician."

"Are you real?" she asked.

He blinked.

"Um . . . I'm not really allowed to say."

"Then you aren't," she reasoned, "I wish I had the power to deceive myself, because then I could care about you, but I know that I fabricated your image, and you are not actually here."

He coughed awkwardly.

"Speaking of illusions-"

"Yes, I know. Your employer has woven a web of magic to conceal the true nature of the animals in these cages. It's like prayer: you see the effects because you struggle to pull them from something that is ordinary outside of your expectations. They're all lies except for the Mozaraharpy. She's as real as I am, but only when compared to the other animals. And then there's the shadowy figure in the last cage. Elli. Or Ellie, I suppose. Not the real one. It's the darkness that separated from her when she-"

Lowery cleared his throat.

"Yeah, I get it. You know what's going on. But you shouldn't be figuring this out yourself, because . . . because nothing."

She narrowed her eyes.

"You're being dishonest. The truth is that I came here for a reason, and I've been trying to conceal that reason from myself because of something I was aware of before I made this illusion."

Lowery twisted his mouth.

"I'm gonna need a second to digest that sentence."

The stegoceratops paced in agitation.

"This doesn't make any sense. Why would I try to fool myself?" she asked half-rhetorically, though a part of her knew the answer.

"I don't know," Lowery stated.

"No, you wouldn't, would you?" she replied somewhat bitterly, "Might you leave for a moment, so I can think this through?"

He rolled his eyes and jogged away, leaving her all alone. She puzzled over this strange riddle, but came to no real conclusion. She'd have to continue her journey if she wanted answers, but for the time being, she was confined to this dreadful cart with dysprosium bars that burned her scales whenever she touched them. She forgot this fact when she saw a familiar person stepping down from the central caravan, and reached as far as she could, ignoring the seething pain.

"PENNY!" she cried.

The woman glared at her. She waved her arm helplessly, trying desperately to call her over.

"PENNY! IT'S ME!" she screamed.

She stormed over furiously, gnashing her teeth.

"You stupid beast. Don't you know that _I'm_ the one who captured you?"

The stegoceratops had tears in her eyes.

"Penny, I know you're here too. I know you're real. Listen, Penny-"

"You have no right to call me that."

She bit her lower beak.

"Please . . . Let me go. We'll leave together."

She sneered.

"Why would I trust you when _you're_ the one who sent me here in the first place?"

"Because I had no choice," she whispered, "It's been weighing on my conscience for years. Please, give me a chance to make things right."

She shook her head gently.

"Never. What you've done, not just to me, but to the others . . . you can't possibly hope to undo that."

Although the stegoceratops wasn't exactly sure what she was talking about, she knew how to respond.

"I'm here to try."

"And you will fail."

She pulled her arm back from the bars.

"I'm sorry. I know you won't change your mind right now, but I'll wait for you. I'm here to save the stegoceratops. All of them."

She shot her a hateful glare.

"That's not who I am anymore, and as for you, you can never be one of them. This is all your fault. All of it."

"Which is why I have to set things right," she affirmed, "Release me and tell me where I can find the Red Bull."

"It's not a Bull, it's a Boar, and it's not a Boar, it's an Entelodon. He works for the bull, who is not red. And you're not a unicorn, in case you've made that mistake as well."

"It's all the same. You know what I mean."

The woman turned away.

"I'm keeping you here. You've done enough damage already. The only way you can come close to repenting is by letting yourself stay trapped in this abysmal place forever."

"You know I can't do that," she gulped, "There are two others here who are waiting for me to reunite with them. Then I can find the stegoceratops and bring them home."

"You are destined to fail."

"That's never stopped me before."

The woman scoffed.

"Even if you somehow manage to free them- which you won't- that won't be enough to erase the pain you've caused. The past will not be changed by one act of kindness."

"But the future will," she whispered, "I swear, Penny, I'll come back for you, though I wish you'd trust me now and join me in the search for my people."

"They're not your people. They never will be. And you will die here."

"I'm not afraid."

"Then you're a fool."

And with that, she left.

The stegoceratops had never felt so alone.


	3. Third

The stegoceratops escaped later that night. Lowery the magician nearly crushed her with his faulty magic when he shrunk her cage, and she insisted that he use the keys he had swiped from the head of the carnival instead. He asked her how she knew he had them, and she couldn't answer.

When the stegoceratops was free, she released the other animals, but she paused before approaching the Mozaraharpy. She knew the creature was dangerous, and there was really no point in releasing her anyway, because she was not real. Still, the inky eyes of the hybrid reptile drew her in closer and closer, until she lowered her head so that her horn touched the lock. It fell to the ground, and the beast rose with a fearsome crow.

"BRAAAK! BRAAAK! BRAAAAAAAAAK!"

The stegoceratops stumbled backwards. The Mozaraharpy was not real, but the danger certainly was. The hideous monster sliced the air with her leathery wings, adjusting her course so that she was headed straight for her savior.

"BRAAAK!"

The stegoceratops lowed in fear. As the Mozaraharpy plunged, she lifted her horns and forced her to retreat. But the hag wasn't scared off for long. She dove again, and the stegoceratops realized that neither one of them would give up. They could very well fight for an eternity.

But their battle was cut short by mortal circumstances.

The head of the carnival had emerged from her trailer to see what the commotion was about. When she realized that her animals had been freed, she let out a furious growl.

"You cow!"

The Mozaraharpy turned her attention to the woman. The stegoceratops' jaw dropped, and she rushed forward to warn her.

"She's after you! She's after you!"

There was nowhere to run. The woman, evil as she was, seemed terrified, and the stegoceratops felt her heart sagging with pity. As the monster sped along the ground, she suddenly leapt up and held it back.

"GO! DON'T RUN, BUT GO!" the stegoceratops pleaded.

The woman sneered.

"Your charity is a ruse. It won't change the way I feel about you."

"I don't care! If you want to see the others again, you _must_ walk away right now!"

The woman chuckled.

"When the worlds split apart once more, I wonder if you'll end up above or below . . ."

The stegoceratops did not reply, because she was struggling to keep the monster pinned to the ground. Thankfully, the woman began to march away, and she was able to release the creature. Free once more, it spread its wing and crowed in fury. The stegoceratops braced herself for an attack. The beast dove, but as it did, its scales began to flake away, dissolving into light. By the time it reached the stegoceratops, nothing remained but a few floating sparks. Lowery the magician gaped in amazement.

"What the hell happened?"

The stegoceratops exhaled.

"She wasn't real, and neither are you. But come with me, anyway. We must find the others."

He scratched his head.

"Is that all?"

"Yes."

She began to lumber away. Lowery watched her, then gave a small shrug.

"Alright. Sounds good to me."


	4. Fourth

The stegoceratops traveled with the magician for several days. She did not like this arrangement , because she was forced to assume the role of his prized triceratops, or stegosaurus, because there was not a single person along the road who knew what she truly was. At night, she was made to stay in common stables, which was humiliating, because she was not an animal. No more than the humans, anyway.

The stegoceratops dreamed, one night. She could not recall what the subject of her subconscious musings was, exactly, but she did not like what she was imagining. She drifted between consciousness and slumber, chained to both states of being in a purgatory of thought. She longed for one world and one world only, for doleful certainty was better than neutral ambiguity.

But she wished to stay sleeping, because she was remembering her past. Her _real_ past. She could tell because on several occasions, she called out a name. Well, almost. She came close to uttering that sacred word she had forgotten, but every time it formed on her beak, it would dissolve into a mumble. She longed to know who she was calling out for, if he existed at all, but she was pulled from her sleep quite suddenly by the thundering of triceratops feet.

Lowery the magician was being carried away by bandits, it seemed. The stegoceratops lifted her head, peering into the gray drizzle that shone through the stable window.

She had better go after him, she thought.


	5. Fifth

The stegoceratops did not find Lowery until very late in the evening. To her surprise (or perhaps not, because he was an idiot), she found him tied to a tree that may or may not have had breasts. She walked up to him slowly, then loosened the ropes that bound him with her magic. He fell backwards and stood up immediately, brushing himself off with a casual air.

"Cool. You rescued me. Not that I was in peril, because I'm awesome at wizardry, but you know . . . Now we can go and do your thing. The thing with the bull-boar. The entelodon- Look, you know what I mean."

The stegoceratops nodded.

"I suppose so."

They lumbered down the hill.

"Leaving so soon?"

The stegoceratops froze at the sound of a new voice. It was familiar to her, and yet it wasn't real. She wished she could say the opposite.

"Karen?"

The woman uncrossed her arms.

"How do you know my name?" she asked with suspicion.

"Why didn't you come here with me? Why aren't you real?" the stegoceratops asked, ignoring her question.

"Why did _you_ avoid me for all those years?" she countered.

The stegoceratops tossed her head. She knew what Karen was referring to, but it was slipping from her mind like sand in a colander.

"Karen . . . Karen . . . Karen . . ."

Lowery the magician looked at each of them intermittently.

"Am I missing something here?" he mumbled.

The stegoceratops could feel her heart trembling, but she didn't know why. All she could remember was that Karen, the _real_ Karen, should be here with her. But where _was_ here? What was this world, and where did it come from? Why was everything so familiar, yet so foreign? The stegoceratops yearned for answers to these questions, but none would come. Not until she continued down the road, at least. With tears in her eyes, she turned back the way she had come.

"Where are you going?" Lowery asked.

"You've been traveling in the wrong direction," the stegoceratops and Karen replied at once.

Lowery batted his eyes.

"Okay . . . Is Karen coming with us?"

"Yes," they both said.

And they made their way to the castle of an evil king, where it was rumored that the Red Entelodon was waiting.


	6. Sixth

"Wait. Are you implying that these feelings you're getting are the product of repressed memories?"

The stegoceratops shook her head.

"No, Karen, it's not that simple. These memories aren't being held back because of a subliminal defense: I purposefully blocked them."

"How? Why?"

"That's what I'm trying to find out. I know I had great magic before this, or I wouldn't have been able to cast the spell in the first place. If my hunch is correct, the very existence of this world has something to do with this conspiracy."

Lowery dropped one of the oranges he had been juggling and kicked it under a bush with embarrassment.

"I, uh- I don't suppose you could lend me some of that magic? . . ."

She shook her head.

"The magic is lost to me, and what little remains must be used against the Red Entelodon."

Lowery gave an aggravated hum.

"Of course. But look here: how do you even know that this animal exists? It could be a fairy tale, and if it's not, the beast might very well be long-dead."

"Everyone here is dead."

No sooner had the stegoceratops uttered these words than a crimson glow appeared on the horizon. A burning object rose from the plains. Although fire danced across the surface of the sphere, it could not be mistaken for the sun. No celestial body would radiate the exact hue of blood. As the flaming mass drew near, a boarlike creature became visible in its depths. The stegoceratops recognized her mortal enemy. She ran.

As the fearful hybrid charged through the forest, weaving between crooked trees, she began to hear voices. Well, not hear, exactly, but remember. Her fear was enough to overcome the barrier set by magic, it seemed.

 _Are you sure you can do this?_

 _I have to. It's my fault they're gone._

The monster snapped at her heels.

 _What if you're killed?_

 _Lily will take my place._

His breath burned her ankles.

 _I can't live without you, Claire._

 _And I can't live in a world without stegoceratopses._

He was almost upon her.

 _I'm coming with you._

 _I'll allow it. I wouldn't be able to change your mind, anyway. You realize that once I merge Elliesium and the Beneath, we could be separated by miles . . ._

 _We'll find each other. We always do._

 _And once we're together, we'll free the stegoceratopses._

 _Or die trying._

She lowed in fear. The beast was driving her towards a sinister castle. All hope seemed lost, but when she leapt over a fallen log, something amazing happened. She changed shape in midair, and when she hit the ground, she was human. The monster paused, no longer recognizing her. He sniffed her unconscious shape. Karen dashed over and knelt beside her, forgetting the fiery boar.

"Oh, no! . . . Oh, no! . . ."

She turned to Lowery with tears in her eyes.

"What have you done?" she spat.

He lifted his hands defensively.

"Hey, it wasn't me. Magic isn't my strong suit."

The human who had formerly been a stegoceratops moaned and rolled over. She held her hands out in front of her with a dazed expression.

"What am I? . . ."

No one could find the strength to answer. She tried to get up, but stumbled.

"No . . ."

"I'm sorry," Karen whispered.

"I can feel this body dying around me . . ."

The entelodon gave a snort of defeat and marched towards the castle, dissolving into bloody flames. Karen helped her friend to her feet. They stared down the road with empty eyes.

"We have to keep going," the non-stegoceratops whispered, "It's the only way, but . . . I wish we didn't have to."

Karen began to weep.

***TLS***

Far across the world, the earth began to shake. Penumbra, who had narrowly escaped the Mozaraharpy thrice more after the stegoceratops left, raised her head and watched as a fissure crossed the sky. Something had happened. The worlds were splitting apart. Perhaps this cataclysmic event would present her with an opportunity. In any case, she would have to face the imposter once more, preferably before she was dragged into the dark recesses of hell.

With a little luck, she might even escape this realm completely, and if she succeeded, she would make sure that her counterpart did not.


	7. Seventh

The stegoceratops was no longer a stegoceratops, and she decided that her name was Claire. Well, she didn't decide, really, because her mother had chosen the name when she was born. Was her mother a stegoceratops? No, she wasn't. And the stegoceratops was no longer a stegoceratops. No longer a stegoceratops. Funny how that was. And her father- Oh, never mind him. But what about her daughter? She seemed to recall that she was half and half-

She had a daughter.

Yes, she did, didn't she? She asked herself this question, but forgot who or what she was referring to when the words had passed through her consciousness. Her mind was like that: forgetting things right when she was on the verge of a breakthrough. If only she could bring herself to hold onto her thoughts, perhaps she would remember why she was here in the first place. To rescue the stegoceratops! That was it! Wasn't it? . . .

As soon as the trio stepped foot on the drawbridge that led to the castle, two guards raised their spears in warning. The one on the right froze when Claire stared into the grate that hid his face, and he promptly removed his helmet. When her eyes met his, an explosion of memory very nearly made her convulse. He was so familiar, and she was _remembering_ \- and then she wasn't. But she didn't _need_ to remember, because she had realized something very important. He was real. He was as real as she was. And now they were together.

The others were not aware of this connection.

"-if you'll just put down your spears-"

"Why have you come to my door? What is your quest?"

Lowery gulped.

"I, uh- We wanted to, um . . . Erm, what I mean to say is . . . Do you have a job opening?"

"For a magician? No. We have a witch named Raven."

"Is she good?"

"Very good."

Lowery snapped his fingers.

"I can be better. I can changes oranges into cats, and tangerines into hairless cats. Sometimes."

The guard laughed and pulled off his helmet.

"You should know better than to lie to King Wu. I find your confidence amusing, however, so you may stay. The prince will show you to your rooms."

He elbowed the other man, who had not broken eye contact with Claire. He was startled, and dropped his shield.

"Oh! Um, right. I'm Prince Owen," he muttered.

He held out his hand for the stegoceratops maiden.

"You must be tired after such a long journey. Let me help you."

He led her into the castle. Lowery shot Karen a confused look, then leaned close to whisper in what failed to be a discreet manner.

"Why does he have antlers? . . ."

***TLS***

Penumbra had traveled far, but not nearly far enough. She could feel the earth shifting, no doubt the result of the catastrophic changes that were beginning to shape the land she had left behind. The telltale rumblings made her nervous, and she wondered whether she would be able to pick up the pace. There was a very specific, very unusual reason why she was finding it difficult to concentrate. When she reached a clearing in the forest, she wheeled around suddenly and shouted at a nearby bush.

"Stop following me!"

After an uncertain pause, a man stepped out of the woods sheepishly. He put his hands in his pockets and jogged up to her.

"How long have you known that I was watching?"

"Long enough. You're good, but I'm better. Why are you so concerned with what I'm doing, anyway?"

He shrugged.

"I find it strange that our world has changed so radically, yet you seem to be on some sort of mission. You're after something. I can tell by the way you move. What are you doing?"

"I'm finding a way out of here."

"There's no need. Once the Beneath and Elliesium split apart, you'll return to your rightful place."

"Which just happens to be the Beneath."

He was surprised by this reveal.

"Oh . . . I just assumed . . . I mean . . ."

She scowled.

"Look, I'm not a bad person, okay? I got sent here because of a great injustice, and now I need to find a way back to Earth. I'll settle for any world, as long as it's not the Beneath."

He quirked a brow.

"What do you mean 'great injustice'? Are you sure you're not just some bitter criminal who actually deserves their punishment?"

"Is that what they say about us in Elliesium?"

"I wouldn't know. I'm not from there."

There was a beat before she answered.

"Alright. Well, if you're from the Beneath too, you have no ground to criticize me."

"I'm not. I just thought you might be from Elliesium, in which case it would be my duty to help you."

"Your duty?"

"Self-assigned. When I died, Elliesium did not exist. My soul wandered idly. I made it my mission to give guidance to others. I committed an atrocious crime when I was alive, and more than anything, I want others to avoid making the same mistake. That's why I helped the living. Eventually, though, I was asked to enter Elliesium. I considered it, but found that I couldn't let myself be rewarded, because even after everything I've done to right my wrongs, I haven't come to terms with my greatest crime. That's why I was going to offer you help, if you needed it: I'm not finished repenting."

She sneered.

"First of all, I don't need your help, and second, what's wrong with you? If you had the chance to enter Elliesium, you should have taken it, because that invitation would mean by default that you're good."

"No matter what the world thinks of me, I can't forget my inexcusable actions."

"What did you do?"

"I killed someone."

"Just one person?"

"Taking even a single life is enough to tear a man's soul apart."

Penumbra scoffed.

"Right. Well, you ought to know that it's not the killing that makes you evil: it's the reasoning behind it. I'd kill for justice. That doesn't make me a bad person."

The man gulped.

"I don't think anyone should kill, no matter the cause, but I understand what you're saying. There is no justification for the murder I committed, however. I was not protecting anyone. I was following the orders of a madman."

"If you were pressured into doing it, it's not entirely your fault."

"Maybe not, but I feel guilty, all the same."

Penumbra didn't know how to respond to that, nor did she particularly care. The tremors were getting stronger, which meant that she was running out of time.

"I have to go."

The man held up his hand.

"Wait. Let me come with you. Even if you don't think you need help now, I'd like to be around in case you do."

"Why would you help me if you believe I'm evil?"

"I never said you were evil."

"I'm from the Beneath, aren't I? Doesn't that give you reason to believe I am?"

He shook his head.

"I'm not sure you are. From what little I've heard of your story, it seems as though you are misled, and I'd like to get to know you better before passing judgment. I wouldn't stop myself from helping you, anyway, unless my assistance will directly lead to the misery of others."

"What if I told you that I intend to kill someone?"

"I might ask you why."

"The person I'm trying to kill is responsible for the death of my people."

The man nodded.

"I can see why you'd want revenge. I'm not sure that killing this person will solve anything, on the other hand. That doesn't mean I can't be of use to you. I'll help you on your journey, but along the way, I'd like us to come up with an alternative to murder."

"I doubt you will find one."

"I can try."

Penumbra thought about this. A sharp quiver of the soil beneath her feet reminded her that she would have to make her decision quickly.

"Fine. If you slow me down, I'm leaving you behind. I doubt that you can change my mind, but I won't stop you from trying. What should I call you?"

"My name on Earth was Monsanto, but I'd prefer to take another."

"Fine. We'll come up with something different."

"What's your name?"

"Penumbra. At least, it used to be. I went by 'Tess' for a while. You should know that I'm not what I seem."

"That's rather cryptic. Are you going to explain yourself?"

The ground began to crack.

"Later. We have to pick up the pace."

"Alright. Let me know what I can do. Let me help you."


	8. Eighth

"So, here's the deal. I tried to slay a dragon for you, but it freaked out and asked me why I was attacking it. That kind of surprised me, and the beast got away, so I drew you a picture of what it looked like so you could appreciate how hard I was willing to work to impress you."

Prince Owen held up a crude image of a dragon. Claire took it in her hands daintily, scanning it briefly before placing the paper on the table with disinterest. Owen's confident smile disappeared.

"You don't like it? . . ."

"It's fine," Claire said simply.

Owen lifted the parchment and examined his work, wondering why it failed to impress her. He gulped and backed out of the room humbly.

"I'll . . . make a few adjustments. Don't go anywhere until I get back, okay?"

She did not reply, but he took her silence as confirmation that she would stay put. Across the room, Karen shot her an icy glower.

"You're being cruel."

Claire sighed.

"I can't let him get in the way. Every time I focus on his deeds, I forget my own quest."

Karen tilted her head.

"I don't see how that's possible. Have you forgotten your people? Have you forgotten _yourself_?"

"I've forgotten what I am."

"You're a unicorn, and no one can ever take that away from you."

Claire lifted her head suddenly, her eyes burning with new energy.

"What did you say?"

"You're a stegoceratops, and no one-"

"You said unicorn."

"Did I?"

"Yes! I'm certain of it!"

"Certain of what?"

Claire's face fell.

"I . . . I don't know . . ."

Karen smiled.

"That's alright. The cat told me a riddle. If he's to be trusted, we may very well find your people soon."

***TLS***

Penumbra hoisted her traveling companion onto a ridge, deciding against her previous plan of abandoning him once he had given her a boost. She had to admit that his efforts to assist her had been tolerable, and perhaps even agreeable. It had been a long time since she'd wanted to make idle chit-chat with someone. It was only natural, considering most of her relationships existed for the sole purpose of advancing her mission to destroy Claire. Although she was basically using this man for the same reason, he seemed keen to talk to her in a casual context. It was nice to have a relationship that extended beyond formality. She could get used to this kind of thing.

"Can I ask you what sort of a murder was considered bad enough to land you in the Beneath?" she pried.

"You can, but I don't particularly enjoy telling the story. Are you dying to know?"

"No. That's okay. Do you have any family in the world of the living?"

"Not anymore. They're long dead, and besides, I was taken away from them at a very young age, so I don't recall what kind of people they were."

"Really?"

"Mhm."

"See, I find that odd. I've had family taken away from me, and through the years, I've wanted nothing more than to be reunited."

"Maybe you should pursue that goal instead of trying to kill this woman."

"I would, if it were possible. My mother is dead. There's no way to bring her back. I must avenge her."

"And this woman of yours killed her, along with the rest of your people, correct?"

Penumbra gulped.

"Well, no. It's more complicated than that . . . Don't give me that look! She's guilty!"

"Are you sure you're not just using her as a scapegoat?"

Penumbra glared at him and began to walk a little faster.

"Don't accuse me of such things."

"You have a funny way of speaking when you're upset."

She clenched her teeth, resisting the urge to slap him.

"Idiot. I should have left you behind."

They were traveling across a plateau that overlooked a jungle with no visible border. Every once in a while, a flock of birds would swarm out of the canopy, giving a collective cackle. Monsanto was tempted to bring up the fact that the landscape reminded him of his home, but he sensed that his friend was in no mood to listen to his anecdotes. The silence made him uncomfortable, so he spent the next few minutes trying to come up with something meaningful to say.

"It's nice to finally see some sunlight, don't you think?"

"Yes."

"I mean, it was difficult living in the Beneath, because the only light came from torches and crystals-"

"I already agreed with you. You don't need to explain your reasoning."

He nodded.

"Fair enough. I'm sorry if I offended you."

She rolled her eyes.

"Do you honestly think I care about the stupid things you say? The only sentiment I'm experiencing right now is annoyance, which you can easily cure by shutting up."

He scoffed.

"That's a fine thing to say to someone when they've wasted their day trying to help you."

"I never asked you to follow me. If you think this time could have been put to better use, that's your own fault."

"You're very rude, you know. In a place like this, you'd think a person would learn to accept friendship when it's offered to them."

"And why would I want to be your friend, when I'm going to be out of here in a few days anyway? I don't belong in the Beneath. I'm not a criminal like you."

He did not move for a second or two. Then, with a tight-lipped expression, he waved his hand dismissively and changed direction.

"Alright. I'll find someone else who requires my services. There are plenty of pretty girls in this world. Nothing is binding me to you specifically."

She laughed like a goose.

"Are you trying to flatter me?"

"No."

"Then why call me pretty?"

"Would you rather I say twiggy or pale? There are only so many words I can use to describe you. You don't leave much of an impression."

"No?"

"No. You're perfectly ordinary."

She snuffed.

"I am _not_ ordinary. I'll have you know that I'm not even human."

"What are you, then?"

"I'm a stegoceratops."

He paused, then shook his head in disbelief.

"I don't know why you'd lie about something like that."

"It's the truth!"

"Prove it."

"I can't, or the monster would come after me. This world has changed in a way that won't allow me to use magic safely, or else I'd have done it long ago."

He said nothing. Penumbra quirked a brow.

"Well?"

"I changed my mind. I'm coming with you."

"Why?"

"If this woman you seek is responsible for the extinction of your species, she must be brought to justice, one way or another."

Penumbra twisted her mouth.

"Why the sudden change of heart?"

"The stegoceratops are a good people."

"And?"

"And I owe them my help. If assisting you will allow the stegoceratops to rest in peace, I'm with you all the way."

"What makes you think I'll let you follow me?"

"I'm asking nicely."

He met her gaze with pleading eyes, and she knew that he was serious about his request. Whatever she had said to make him so determined, it was enough to have him reconsider their situation. He hadn't explicitly stated that he would go through with murder, but something told her that he was seriously considering her proposal. Assassinating a Queen was a two person job, at least, so perhaps it would be wise to keep him nearby, now that she was sure he was on her side.

"Alright. You can come."

Although she had been expecting some degree of gratitude, the sheer amount of joy he radiated surprised her. He must really care about the stegoceratops, though Penumbra couldn't fathom why. Ah, well. She was in no state to question her good fortune.


	9. Ninth

Prince Owen had dedicated the past few days to writing poetry for the Lady Claire. He wasn't very good at it, as his rhymes were forced to an unbelievable degree. Still, he kept at it, crossing out line after line as he struggled to express his feelings in ink. More often than not, he'd end up grabbing his hair in clumps, frustrated with the impotence of his brain. He carried his papers to Lady Claire's chamber one day, quite unintentionally, and it was lucky he did, because he just happened to bump into her on his way up the stairs. Perhaps he had subconsciously wanted to run into her.

"Hello."

She did not reply, and although her eyes were gentle, Prince Owen felt as though he were under attack. He gulped nervously, and handed her his most coherent poem.

"I wrote this for you," he stammered.

She read it over, and smiled very faintly.

"Thank you."

There was an awkward pause. Prince Owen decided to depart before inevitably screwing things up, but when he backed away, his antlers hit the doorframe. He rubbed his head, and Claire laughed.

"Well, at least I made you giggle . . ."

She reached up and ran her hand along the white branches that protruded from his head. He let her, secretly pleased that she wasn't forcing him to leave.

"Why do you have these, anyway?" she asked.

He shrugged.

"Dunno. Why do you have wings?"

She looked over her shoulder and twisted her mouth.

"I don't know."

"I guess we both have mysteries to solve."

"I suppose we do."

Prince Owen was about to point out the similarities between their unexplained appendages (that being that they were white with a strange, luminous quality), but Claire lifted her head slightly and gave him a worried frown.

"I've been having nightmares."

"I'm sorry. About what?"

"Monsters. Cages. A carnival. A woman who escaped. I hope she's alright."

"Who?"

"I don't know."

Owen smiled and put his hand on her arm.

"Well, if it was just a dream, you don't need to worry about her, do you?"

Claire gave an uncertain hum. Owen's casual smile faded away, and he reached for her hand as quickly as she would allow. When their palms pressed together, he moved closer.

"If I knew how to make your nightmares go away, I would jump at the chance. There must be a trick to it. I don't know if it's like hiccups, where you have to punch the person's arm . . . Not that I'd punch you, of course."

"I know," she laughed.

After that, they got to talking. They chatted for an hour or so, but it felt like half the time to Claire. She was drawn to Owen, so much so that her other quest was all but forgotten. For once, she didn't care.

She was in love.

***TLS***

Shivering in the night, Monsanto leaned in towards the wood that smoked beneath Penumbra's stick, willing it to catch fire. She rubbed the pole back and forth between her hands, but it was not looking promising. Although there were gentle, grey plumes rising from the hole she was drilling, there hadn't been a trace of light.

"Do you want me to try?" he offered.

"You know how to make fire?"

"No. But I can copy what you're doing."

"Don't bother. Let me do it so we don't waste each other's time."

Her brow was wrinkled with concentration. Monsanto noticed that her palms were looking raw, and he was about to comment on this fact, but the lichen began to glow, and she blew on it gently. The first attempt failed, but a few minutes later, a weak flame emerged from the dimple on the log's surface. Exhausted, Penumbra leaned back, but not far enough to escape the fire's warmth.

"That was impressive," Monsanto remarked.

"Not really. I used to be better at it. I had to learn when I was living alone. I've become accustomed to a relatively comfortable lifestyle. It's softened me."

He held his hands over the fire, which was growing.

"You'll have to show me how to do this. I thought I was pretty independent, but for the life of me, I wouldn't last a day in the woods under normal circumstances."

He realized that his comment had not been acknowledged. Penumbra was staring at her tender palms. She was blistering beneath her fingers, he noticed. Monsanto scooted closer and reached for her hands, but she snatched them away protectively.

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. It's not like you can do anything, anyway."

He nodded.

"You're probably right."

There was an awkward pause. Reluctantly, Monsanto took a deep breath.

"How are we going to do it?"

"Do what?"

". . . Kill her."

Penumbra inhaled, then exhaled. It was not a calm breath.

"I don't know. Last time, I planned everything out, yet I still managed to fail. I hope to catch her off guard when we meet again. Her memory isn't intact."

Monsanto stared at the fire to avoid making eye contact.

"Are you sure she has to die?"

Penumbra's face hardened.

"You said you were with me on this."

"I am, but I just wonder if there's another way. I don't want to kill again."

"If you knew what she did to me, you wouldn't hesitate."

"Can you tell me, then?"

Penumbra was suddenly aware of the sounds outside of their grove. A large tree was sheltering them from the rest of the forest, but she could hear the creatures of the night calling to each other. She wondered if anyone was listening.

"I . . . I lost my mother."

Monsanto said nothing, so she continued.

"Claire wasn't around then, but I knew she was coming, so I . . . I made a deal with someone. He said that I would live to witness the salvation of my people. Instead, Claire chose to deceive them, and in doing so, led them to their doom."

Monsanto started wringing his hands.

"Does that mean there are no stegoceratopses left in the world?"

Penumbra closed her eyes.

"They're all gone."

Monsanto put his head in his hands, clenching his teeth in agony.

"After all that, they still couldn't be saved . . ."

"What?"

He threw his hands to the ground.

"The incident with Claire wasn't the first time the stegoceratops race was in jeopardy. A long time ago, there were camps-"

"I know. I was in one."

Monsanto turned to face her suddenly, shocked by this news.

"You . . . Why didn't you _say_ something?"

"I thought I had. Or maybe not. People tell me I'm vague."

He ran his fingers through his hair.

"Oh god . . . Oh god . . . I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. I'm not a fan of pity."

"It's not- Well- I'm just surprised that you were . . . there. I wasn't expecting . . . I . . . You caught me off guard."

She spoke sharply.

"I'll try to be clearer from now on. I thought I had given you enough information, but I guess I still managed to mislead you. For that, I apologize. I don't like to discuss these matters in great detail."

"I understand."

After a pause, he decided to continue his thought.

"I'm sorry."

"I told you not to pity me."

"I'm not pitying you. I'm apologizing."

"You don't have to do that. It's my own fault for being so nebulous."

"No, I mean . . . Look, I'm apologizing for the whole thing."

"It's not your fault."

"I . . . I don't know. It might be. I mean, I'm a human, and you're a stegoceratops-"

"That's not enough to merit hatred between us."

"Right. And this woman of yours-"

Penumbra's eyes gave off more sparks than the fire.

"If you're going to doubt the legitimacy of my quest-"

"I'm not! I'm just trying to ask questions!" he insisted, "You've told me very little, and the gaps lead me to believe that there's something more to your story."

Penumbra was still. Even so, Monsanto could feel movement within her. He considered himself a strong person, but the look she gave him made him feel as small as a mouse.

"You want to know my story? Everyone I knew and loved died at the hands of a dictator. They were slaughtered like animals. I grew up in isolation, knowing that if I set foot in a human village, I'd be killed . . . or worse. The only thing that kept me going was the hope that the legendary Stegoceratops Queen would restore the dignity of my species, so that we could live without fear of persecution. This woman turned out not only to be a liar, but a human as well. She told my people that she had a plan to save them all, and when she was finally able to admit that she was a fraud, it was too late. She knew the location of the only place on Earth where the stegoceratops could live in secret, and for this reason, they were forced to find a new sanctuary. They never made it that far. Every last one of them was murdered, all because this queen gave them false hope. She put her own needs before the needs of hundreds of my kind, and now, they're all gone. That's not all. I confronted her many years ago, and she had the nerve to lie again. She claimed that we were the same, that she was a stegoceratops just like me. She is _not_ one of my kind: she is an _imposter_. _I_ was the last stegoceratops, not her. And . . . _And_ . . . She is, without a doubt, the reason my species is gone forever, because she was the one who murdered me."

Monsanto did not reply. He looked into the fire, then held his hand over the crackling flames. His skin blackened on contact, but he did not wince. He pulled away slowly, then rubbed the soot between his fingers. He then lay down on his side and spoke quietly.

"I know it may appear that I've gone back and forth on the issue, but I really do want to help you. The only reservation I had was with regards to the legitimacy of your revenge. I have no doubt that this woman deserves punishment of some kind, but something about your situation rubbed me the wrong way. Now I know what it is. It's you. You've survived something terrible, and these events have shaped you into something you wouldn't have otherwise been. You've been robbed of your innocence, among other things. I realize now that you're not just prickly: your actions are not your own, and your thirst for blood stems from something beyond your control. That's what hurt me the most about your story. You had your goodness taken away from you. I know what I must do to make things right. When we started this quest, I believed my purpose was to talk you out of murder. Then, I realized that you would have to find your own path. Finally, I discovered that I had a moral obligation to assist you, but the first two epiphanies remained in the back of my mind, contradicting my most recent conclusion. I now understand that I must do all three things in order to help you."

"How?"

He looked up at her, fire streaking across his eyes.

"I'm going to kill Claire myself."


	10. Tenth

Penumbra woke before the sun was visible. A golden-grey light was humming through the forest, and the night's mist made the air cold and hard to breathe in. She never enjoyed these kinds of mornings when she was alive, but she had been deprived of such weather in the Beneath, and she now appreciated it, to some degree. At the moment, she was wrapped up in Monsanto's arms, though she couldn't exactly remember how she got there. She had a vague sense that it was her own fault, as she had crawled towards him in the middle of the night . . . because of the cold, of course. Now, as the low temperature took on a humid quality, she wished he would move his chest a little to cover her arm, but she didn't want to wake him, and it was an odd request anyway.

Speaking of odd requests, he had previously mentioned a desire to leave his name behind. She hadn't told him yet, but over the past few days, she'd been thinking up a new one. So far, she hadn't settled on anything solid, but she wanted to ask him for his input. At the same time, she didn't really feel like bringing it up, because it might make her look stupid for one reason or another. Maybe she was past that point already. Her fingers were laced through his.

"Are you awake?"

He did not reply. She elbowed him gently, and he groaned.

"Are you awake?" she repeated.

"I am. Are you ready to go?"

"Yes. Were you serious about wanting a new name?"

"What?"

"A new name. You said you don't like your current one."

He yawned and stretched out his arms, letting go of her hand in the process.

"It's not that I don't like it. I'm just ashamed of what I did, and my name reminds me. Changing it won't undo that."

"But would you like to?"

"Like to what?"

"Change it."

He rubbed his eyes.

"Sure, sure. That would be nice. Do you have any ideas?"

"Nothing good."

He gave a crooked smile.

"I know for a fact that you're lying. Tell me what you're thinking."

She shook her head.

"You'll laugh."

He nudged her gently.

"Just tell me. If your ideas are stupid, I promise to forget them."

She opened her mouth, but before she could utter a single syllable, the ground gave a jolt, and she was flung forward. Monsanto, too, fell over, but in a swift motion, he rolled upright, shaking as the earth trembled beneath his feet.

"Something's wrong."

Penumbra pulled herself upright, hanging onto his arm.

"It's catching up to us! That's impossible! We had enough time-"

She shrieked as the ground began to crumble away.

***TLS***

"STEGOCERATOPS! STEGOCERATOPS! AFTER HER!"

Having solved the skeleton's riddle, Lowery, Karen, and Claire stumbled through the clock, and Prince Owen followed. King Wu had been absent recently, which struck Claire as odd, but he was summoned by the shrieking skeleton, and promptly smashed the clock, blocking off the exit. The only way out was through the lair of the beast that lay sleeping under the castle.

***TLS***

Monsanto was a faster runner than his companion. He tugged on her arm, trying desperately to increase her velocity, but he only managed to make her stumble. Still, he could not bear to let go. He dragged her through a crumbling tunnel that would allow them to cross a mountain range, and bits of stone tumbled down from the walls around them. The forest in which they had spent the night no longer existed, and soon, the passage would go with it. The echo of larger boulders crashing to the floor was terrifying, but the light ahead kept them going. Just when it seemed like they would make it through the cavern, a rock fell where their hands were joined, separating them forcefully. A wall of debris piled up between the two bodies. Monsanto was knocked backwards by a stalactite, and the grimy floor scraped his shoulder. Through his coughing (brought on by a shower of dust), he called out to the woman on the other side of the wall.

"PENUMBRA! PENUMBRA! PENNY!"

There was a fearful whimper.

"Help!"

He ran up to the wall, fumbling around to search for a way through.

"Are you hurt?"

"N-no. I can't see. I'm stuck."

"Are you pinned down?"

"No, but I'm trapped from both sides."

He climbed up towards the ceiling.

"There has to be a way out of here. Can you move around at all?"

"Yes. I have room . . . I think. It's very dark."

The pocket she was trapped in was, in fact, quite small. She barely had enough room to spread her arms. It was starting to remind her of something . . .

"Can you get me out?" she croaked.

"I think so. I just have to dig. The tremors have stopped, so we should have enough time to get you out safely. Stand back. I don't want anything to fall on you."

She heard him moving loose rocks around. This brought her relief, but as she got a better sense of her surroundings, she started to feel uneasy.

"Monsanto . . ."

"What is it?"

"I don't like this."

"It's not exactly my idea of a good time, either."

She started to shrink away into the corner.

"Please hurry."

"I'm doing the best I can. Be patient."

She closed her eyes and started to shake.

"Monsanto . . ."

"What?"

"I . . . I don't know. Just keep talking."

"I need to focus."

She fell on her side, burying her face in her knees.

"Oh god, oh god, oh god . . ."

"What's wrong?"

She withheld her reply, because tears were welling up in her eyes. Noticing this silence, Monsanto stopped digging and pressed his ear against the wall.

"Are you okay?"

She gave an affirmative whimper. He nodded and backed away.

"I need leverage. Wait here. I'll find a way to get you out."

She took a frantic breath, but forced herself to stay quiet. After a few seconds, however, she couldn't help herself.

"Don't go!" she blurted, "Look, I didn't want to admit it, but this is really starting to scare me. I'm afraid. I'm _afraid_."

There was no reply. She glared at the wall with contempt.

"Shut up! I'm not a coward. They used to lock me in a place like this while my mother was away. If that had happened to you, you'd be just as frightened right now!"

She hiccupped and wrapped her arms around her knees.

"They'd leave me in the dark for hours and hours, and I couldn't even sleep, because the floor was covered in bent nails. Every day, there came a point when the silence would break me. I wondered if the soldiers were ever coming back. I wondered if they'd leave me to die in there. And then . . ."

She shut her eyes tight.

". . . and then I wondered if any of it was real at all. That silence was so different from the warmth of my home, the sound of my mother's voice . . . sunlight . . . I forgot about everything good in the world. As far as I was concerned, none of it had ever existed, because the darkness seemed like it would last forever. The room was reality, and life was a dream. No matter how many times they let me out, I never anticipated the end during the next round. To me, the darkness was Hell, and it would last forever."

She imagined her friend sitting on the other side of the wall, listening to her story. He was no doubt struggling to figure out what she was getting at. A flicker of hope came to life in her chest. She opened her eyes and took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry. I'm being vague again. I'm okay, though. I'm okay. This cave is nothing like the darkness, because I know you're on the other side of that wall, waiting for me."

She stood up with shaky knees.

"You may be wondering why I'm telling you all of this. It's not because I'm afraid, not really. The truth is, I've been living in that same darkness for years. I escaped the camps alone, with no one to turn to for guidance. Then, I was isolated in the Beneath, and when the worlds became one, that didn't change. The only time I stopped being alone was when I met you. I think that's why I let you tag along. I mean, we've only known each other for a few days, and we're not even that close, but all this time, I've been dying to tell you what happened to me, just so that someone can know . . ."

She pressed her forehead against the piled-up rocks.

"God, I don't know what I'm saying. I'm just trying to make you understand. Maybe it's impossible . . . maybe it's pointless . . ."

She let herself sink to the ground again.

"That's okay. I've made a decision. I don't want to be alone anymore. I want someone to stand with me, to understand what I'm trying to accomplish. I want someone to _listen_ . . ."

She sniffled, then wiped her nose on her sleeve.

"I'm going to start crying now. I don't even care. I just want you to hear what I have to say."

She took a shaky breath.

"Back when I was a child, the person I loved most in the world was my mother. She was always there for me. We were inseparable. Even when we were taken away to that awful place, my mother convinced the wardens to let us stay together. Every night, she'd return to our bunker with bruises on her hindquarters. I asked her what was going on, and she said that they'd let me stay with her another day, and that was all that mattered. She'd ask me how I was feeling, and I never told her about the room they locked me in, because they said bad things would happen if I did."

She gulped.

"All I wanted was to escape with my mother. I was so close, _so close_ to accomplishing that goal. Three bullets later, she slipped from a log and fell into the river. Just a few more steps, and she would have made it across the canyon and into the forest. Ever since that night, I've been going over the same scenario in my head, wondering if there was a way she could have been saved. I still don't have an answer. And . . . that's something no child should ever have to think about. I don't know who to blame: the dictator, his followers, humans in general . . . myself . . . In the end, I believe the blame is shared by many people, and they should all be punished in some way. This includes me. Until very recently, I was ready to suffer in the Beneath, but only after the other criminals had been brought to justice. That's why I have no issue with resorting to drastic measures. I'm a bad person, and I will do bad things to bad people so that we can all suffer for our crimes. I'm flattered that you think I'm only a victim, but the truth is . . . I'm just as bad as the others. I've accepted the darkness in me, but you have to understand that what you're doing is putting me in a very tough position. See, you're essentially a good person, and I'm not. I'll end up in the Beneath regardless of what happens from now on, but you have a choice. That's why I was thrilled to hear you say that you'd like to kill Claire for me. It's not because I want your help. If you can be as bad of a person as _I_ am, then you won't have to leave when the worlds split apart. I desperately want you to be a bad person, because if you are, we can be together forever."

Silence. Penumbra lifted her head, then looked down again.

"I guess that makes me pretty selfish, right?"

When she heard the sound of footsteps, she panicked.

"Wait! Don't go! Let me explain . . ."

The sound was getting louder, oddly enough. He was not running away.

"I'm back!"

Penumbra's eyes went wide.

"What? . . ."

"I found a branch to help me with the digging. Are you doing okay in there?"

She gulped.

"How long have you been gone?"

"Ever since I said I was- Wait, you thought I was still here?"

Penumbra's jaw dropped.

"I . . . No, I didn't. I was just . . . um . . . Look, can you start digging?"

"Sure thing."

She could hear him slamming the wood into wide cracks, rocking it back and forth to weaken the supports. Her heart fluttered.

"Monsanto . . ."

"Yeah?" he panted.

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me. It's nothing, really."

She started digging on her side to speed up his task. Her arms moved with a hopeful desperation.

"Seriously: thank you. Not just for freeing me, but for everything. I've really come to enjoy your company."

"Me too. Do you see any light?"

She smiled.

"A little. Keep going."

His pole suddenly pierced the wall, missing her by an inch. Even so, she did not back down. She pulled away the chunks of stone more fiercely than before. Her heart was glowing.

"I'm so glad I let you come along. I don't know what I would have done without you."

"Without me, you wouldn't be trapped in the first place."

"That's not true," she insisted, "Listen, when I get out, I have something to tell you."

"Me too. I've been thinking about it for a while."

"You have?"

"Yes. You should tell me what you have to say first, because whatever it is, my confession is going to overshadow it, I guarantee."

Penumbra smiled and bit her lip.

"I don't think so. We might very well be thinking about the same thing."

"Somehow, I doubt it."

She grinned as light began to pour into the cave.

"Don't be afraid. It's not easy for me, either, but we have to be honest with each other."

"Okay. We're almost there."

Sure enough, the wall began to crumble. Penumbra crawled through it as it did, wasting no time. Monsanto dropped his stick to pull her through. He helped her down, and when she landed in his arms, she placed her hands on his cheeks and gave him a kiss. Just as she was mentally polishing the content of her next statement, he grabbed her by the upper arms and pushed her away.

"What are you doing?" he whispered.

"I . . . Well, it should be _obvious_. Did I misread something?"

"We can't do this."

"Why not?"

"You're a stegoceratops."

Her face fell. She looked down in embarrassment.

"I thought that wouldn't matter to you . . ."

"It doesn't. I mean- Not in that- It's not like- You're misunderstanding me."

She gave him a perplexed look. He broke their shared gaze and wandered away, speaking just loud enough so that she could hear him. His voice was dull in the cold air.

"I wanted to tell you, but I was afraid you'd . . . I mean, in all likelihood . . ."

He turned around to face her once more.

"No matter how you choose to react to this news, I'll understand. I won't try to change your mind."

He took a deep breath.

"I worked in the camps. I wasn't in charge of any of the slaughterhouses or execution chambers, but I assisted in the genocide. I'm sorry for withholding this information. Do as you will."

Penumbra stared at him, then her eyes turned downwards, flicking back and forth as she processed this revelation. After a while, her face grew calm, and she walked up to him slowly.

"I've decided on your name."

He blinked.

"You . . . Did you hear what I said?"

"Yes, but that was a long time ago, and you've helped me this far. Besides, I get the feeling that you didn't know what you were doing, and everything you've told me since we met indicates that you wish to be a friend to my people."

He batted his eyes.

"But I-"

Before he could finish, she grabbed his hand and led him away from the cave.

"It's okay. You're staying with me. We should pick up the pace if we're going to make it to the castle before this place crumbles into a million pieces. Your name is Corona, by the way."

Dumbfounded, he let her lead him across a wide field, not knowing that she was secretly pleased that he was just as rotten as she was.


	11. Eleventh

"You shouldn't have followed us," Lowery muttered, "You'll only slow us down."

Prince Owen tightened his lips.

"I won't. Besides, nothing could keep me away from her."

He nodded to the Lady Claire, who was leading the procession. Lowery gave him a sardonic look.

"She's a stegoceratops, you know."

"I know."

Lowery's mouth hung open.

"How?"

"I could sense that she was something greater than me when I first met her. I feel foolish around her, but when she speaks to me, that feeling stops. But this isn't about what _I_ want. Loving me has made her human. It's beautiful and tragic. I know she belongs to the world, but a part of me hoped that she would have settled on being mine. I suppose she will, once this is over."

Lowery snorted.

"Not likely. She'll have to change back to face the boar, and when she does, you won't be able to love her, because that's bestiality."

"I don't care."

There was a long silence. As Prince Owen walked, his lip began to quiver. Tears trickled down his cheeks, making it no further than his beard. Lowery scowled.

"What are you crying for?"

"I'm not crying!" Owen snapped, "I'm just leaking sadness!"

He sniffed and ran his sleeve over his face.

"You're right. Claire is going to change back, and when she does, she won't love me anymore. Compared to her, I'm nothing. She's gone on a marvelous quest while I just sat in a castle doing nothing. I may have antlers, but that's nothing compared to a set of wings. My story won't have a happy ending. When this is over, she'll leave me, because she doesn't need a stupid prince getting in her way."

Claire wheeled around suddenly and put her hands on his cheeks. She kissed him, and he went rigid. When she pulled away, she was a stegoceratops again.

"I'd never leave you, Owen. Some stories don't have happy endings, but ours does. I'm not a unicorn, and you're not unworthy. We love each other, and that's never going to change."

Owen sniffled happily, then coughed.

"Don't watch me cry."

"You're just leaking sadness . . ."

They smiled and pressed their foreheads together. When they parted, they noticed that their companions had vanished.

"They're gone," Claire lamented, "Everyone who isn't real will have disappeared now, because I understand that this story is not theirs. I wish the real Karen could have joined us . . ."

"Don't worry about her. We're here for the stegoceratops . . . stegoceratopses . . ."

Claire nodded.

"I know. I remember. They've been herded into the sea. All we have to do is face the boar and free them. Then, I'll bring them to our world, and they can live among humans once more."

"All of them?"

"Every last one. Well, except . . ."

She closed her eyes, pained by her memories.

"I couldn't get Penumbra. She . . . Well, you know."

Owen nodded.

"That's okay. You tried. What do we do now?"

Claire gave a valiant snort.

"We move deeper into the cave, find the boar, free the stegoceratops-es, escort them to the portal, and leave before the worlds tear apart for good."

"What if we don't make it?"

"We have plenty of time."

"No, I mean, what if we die?"

"Then we die. What's important is the stegoceratopses."

There was a roar from the other end of the cave. The walls began to glow. Owen gulped and moved closer to his wife.

"Claire . . ."

"He's coming."

"Why?"

"I'm a stegoceratops again. That's what he's searching for."

Owen looked left and right.

"This tunnel is narrow. How are you going to get past him?"

"I'm not."

Owen turned to her suddenly.

"Claire!"

She closed her eyes, squeezing out a single tear.

"I always knew it would end this way. It's my fault they're gone, and I have to pay for my mistake."

Owen shook his head fervently.

"No, no, no! You can't do this! You promised we'd set them free together!"

She gulped.

"Or die trying. Owen, I wish I could survive this, but it's becoming clear that you're the one who has to free my people. You said it yourself: I've gone on a marvelous quest, and you waited in the castle. This is what you've been waiting for."

"It's not. The world needs a Queen."

"Lily will take my place."

They could feel the heat of the fiery boar leaping from the cavern walls. He was getting closer.

"I won't let you die, Claire. Not again."

"It's not your choice."

Owen stared at the flames that were beginning to leap around the other end of the tunnel. The path curved upward, so it was impossible to see the boar itself.

"Claire . . . I know you want me to be a hero, but you have to understand that I can't be heroic if I let you die. Yes, I've been standing idly by while you do great things, but that's only because you're so amazing."

"You are too."

Owen smiled.

"I'm going to tell you a secret, Claire. Every noble thing I've ever done was for your benefit. I'm only a hero because you told me to be one. That's fine by me. I finally understand why I feel so insufficient around you. It's because I was meant to support you, not outshine you. I can live with that. I've been helping you all along, and I'm proud of what I've done."

Claire frowned.

"Owen, you're not making sense."

He smiled.

"You're my everything. The only way I can be a hero is if I save the stegoceratopses on your behalf, because I'd never give my life for them, otherwise. I'm not a hero, but I'm a hero for you."

Claire gave him an incredulous look.

"I _still_ don't know what you're trying to say!"

He smiled and gave her a wink.

"That's okay. We'll give this boar what he wants. Heroes are meant to die for unicorns."

He kissed the ridge of her beak hastily, then backed up and changed into a stegoceratops. By the time Claire realized what he was planning, it was too late.

"OWEN, NO!"

She thundered down the tunnel as he did, but he was too fast. He disappeared over the ridge, and the boar gave a furious scream. Claire passed the monster, but she did not see the beast, exactly. All she could focus on was Owen's body.

And then, she reached the end of the tunnel. The gray sunlight made Claire turn her head. She leapt into the fresh, cold air, and felt salty water lapping at her feet. She stood in the wet sand, staring at the sea that spanned her field of vision. The stegoceratops were in there, she knew, and it was up to her to get them out.

 **RRRAAAHHH!**

The entelodon's roar shook the earth. Claire looked over her shoulder, and it dawned on her just how pointless Owen's sacrifice had been. As long as the boar was still alive, he'd herd every last stegoceratops into the sea, including her. And it was all by her own doing. She was the one who thought of The Last Unicorn as she designed the temporary world. It had seemed like a good idea, at the time. She aimed to give this hybrid land meaning, so that she would not lose her path. But she had. She had gone astray, and now, the stegoceratops would be gone forever, along with her and Owen. It was more than she could bear.

"Damn you!" she shouted, "Why did you have to leave me? We were supposed to do this together!"

She fell to her knees, weeping.

"Owen, you idiot. I can't do this without you . . . not without you . . ."

She sobbed as the boar emerged from the cavern. He took his time. He knew how defenseless she was.

 **Well, well, well. Look who's all alone. Did you really think you could defeat me? You're even weaker than the last Queen . . .**

Claire buried her face in the sandy muck.

"Just kill me."

 **I don't think so. If I kill you, you'll rise up and leave my domain, but if I keep you here, you and your little friends will be dragged into the abyss for all eternity.**

Claire closed her eyes.

"No . . ."

 **Oh, yes.**

She rolled over, moaning like a sick animal.

"I've done it again. I've made everything worse. I thought at the very least, I would be the only one to suffer, but now I've lost everything . . ."

"Not quite."

Claire sprung to her feet and stared up at the castle with wide eyes and a hanging jaw. Owen was standing on the mountain, completely unharmed. The boar snarled at him.

 **How is this possible? I killed you!**

Owen crossed his arms.

"No, you didn't . . . I mean, yes, you killed me, but I'm alive now, so you didn't kill me in the sense of . . . in the sense that . . . since I'm alive, I'm not dead, and therefore you didn't kill me, even though you killed me physically. What I'm trying to say is-"

 **ENOUGH! Why have you returned?**

Owen lifted his chin.

"To save Claire. Because I'm useful."

 **You can't save her. You don't have the power.**

Owen smiled.

"Maybe not, but I have these . . ."

Suddenly, two massive, white wings unfolded from his back, and he glided down to where Claire was standing. He elbowed her playfully.

"Pretty cool, huh? I was waiting to reveal them at just the right time."

The boar tossed his head.

 **Enough! Are you going to fight me or not?**

Owen stepped forward.

"If you attack Claire, I promise you won't make it out of here alive. Then again, you're already dead, so no matter what happens, you're stuck in the Beneath. The only difference is that if you fight me, you'll have to spend the rest of your days knowing you lost to a single man. It's up to you, though."

The boar considered this, then turned around slowly. He lumbered into the sea, never looking back once. Owen watched his flaming body fizzle beneath the waves, then turned to Claire with a proud smile.

"That was easy. I didn't even have to fight him."

Claire bumped him with her beak.

"I know you would have, if you were forced to."

He knelt beside her, running his hand down her snout, as he so often did. She gave a gentle rumble, then peeked over his shoulder.

"So you have wings now."

"Yep."

"That's funny. I wonder how that works."

Owen shrugged.

"We'll find out someday. For now, let's get back to saving the stegoceratops."

Claire was about to give him a nod of acknowledgment, but she lifted her head suddenly and screamed.

"OWEN, LOOK OUT!"


	12. Twelfth

The gunshot would have killed Owen, but luckily, the earth trembled, and their assailant was knocked off of his perch as he fired. He tumbled down the mountainside, and as he did, he dropped his gun, but he quickly snatched it up when he hit the sand. He got to his feet and was joined by a woman. Claire's face fell.

"Penumbra . . ."

She stalked over to the unfamiliar man, who was pointing his gun at Claire.

"Yes, I've returned. You didn't seriously think I'd let you get away? . . ."

Claire stamped her foot. It didn't make much noise, because she was standing on sand.

"Penumbra, don't. If you kill me now, I'll never be able to free the stegoceratops."

The man with the gun gave Penumbra a side glance.

"Penny . . ."

"She's lying," Penumbra hissed, "She can't free the stegoceratops. No one can."

Owen crossed his arms.

"You're wrong. Claire is going to save them all, and if you shoot her now, you'll be screwing yourself over. Where did you get a gun, anyway?"

Penumbra sneered.

"Found it. Anyway, I'll save you my speeches. As much as I want to bask in this moment, I'd much rather kill you right away so that nothing goes wr-"

Suddenly, she was knocked over by another stegoceratops, or rather, a stegoceratops-human hybrid with wings. She landed in the sand, spinning around before giving a vicious snort and pawing at the ground.

"Mom! She's trying to kill you!"

Claire's jaw dropped.

"I _know_ , Lily! And what are you doing here?! I told you not to follow me!"

Lily gave a sheepish rumble.

"Well, I wasn't following _you_ : I was following Luke . . ."

Claire bellowed.

"LUKE'S HERE?!"

Lily shook her head.

"Not anymore. I got him out safely. Kind of."

Claire frowned.

"Lily . . ."

She avoided making eye contact with her mother.

"It's not my fault, okay? You know how much Luke loves those stories about June, so when he realized where you were going, he tagged along. Now, he has antlers, and they're both out."

Claire took this in, her eyes flitting back and forth like sparks.

"June . . . June is out?"

Lily nodded.

"Mhm. And Luke has antlers."

Owen rubbed his chin.

"What's up with these wings and antlers? Seems like everyone is sprouting 'em today."

Lily noticed his wings.

"Daddy . . ."

"I know, sweetheart. It's strange for me too. Don't-"

There was a shot, but no one was hit. Penumbra had wanted to get their attention, and now that she had, she handed the gun to her friend, who was looking less certain than before. She didn't seem to notice this, however.

"Finish the job. I want to see Claire die, and then we can go."

"She has a daughter . . ." he whispered.

"She's not dangerous."

His hands were trembling. He could barely hold the gun straight.

"Penny . . ."

She snarled.

"Just do it! You said you were with me on this, regardless of circumstance. If we die, we die, but I just want to see her brought to justice."

He was holding his weapon out too far in front of him, and Claire was absolutely still. Neither Lily nor Owen dared startle their attacker. All they could do was pray that he would reconsider. But Penumbra was determined to make sure that that wouldn't happen.

"Monsanto-"

"You said my name was Corona."

"Corona, do this for me. You promised. You promised you'd do it . . ."

Tears trickled down his cheeks.

"You never said she had a daughter . . ."

"It shouldn't matter."

"I can't kill a mother. Do you know what it's like to see someone you love die?"

"I do, as a matter of fact, but let's not bring up the past. What matters now is that you put an end to this. Claire Dearing has to die, and if you love me, you'll be the one to execute her."

Monsanto lifted his gun a few inches, staring at his soon-to-be victim. He did not know what Claire's eyes were expressing, but there was a serenity to her gaze. His finger touched the trigger, but Lily gave a quiet whine, and he paused. He let out a breath, but was no calmer for it. Penumbra leaned forward with expectation. He lowered his weapon.

"I can't. I just can't, Penny."

She gnashed her teeth.

"So you're just going to betray me? You really _are_ a coward."

He shook his head.

"Penny, if you want to kill her, you can, but I can't bring myself to do it."

"Why not?"

Monsanto closed his eyes.

"I can't do it because . . . this is how it happened before. I shot a stegoceratops who was about to escape from the camps. It was only after she fell to her death that I realized her daughter was waiting for her in the forest. I can't kill this woman because if I do, history will be repeated. I promised myself I wouldn't harm another stegoceratops, and even if this woman is an imposter, the pain of knowing that I've robbed another person of their mother will forever haunt me. I'm not strong enough to survive that. I'm sorry."

There was no life in Penumbra's eyes. She had only now discovered the true nature of her pointless, harmful, hypocritical quest. Everything she had believed in since she swore vengeance was now proven wrong, and she had no reason to continue her mission. It was over. Penumbra knew this, Claire knew this, and even Lily and Owen had some idea, but Monsanto did not. He was not aware of Penumbra's true identity, and for this reason, he handed her the gun, hoping that this gesture would be enough to win her trust again. She backed away from him at first, not wanting to come any closer to the traitor, but after a pause, she took the weapon. There was no way to know what she was thinking as she turned it over in her hands. Perhaps she was pondering whether to kill Claire, Monsanto, or even herself. In the end, she let her arm drop and tossed the gun into the water, where it was swallowed up by the tide. Monsanto saw this as a peaceful action, but when he attempted to follow Penumbra as she lumbered away, Claire held him back. She told him what had really happened. Owen and Lily watched, not hearing her words, for the slowly escalating grief on Monsanto's face drowned them out. After learning who his only friend was, he fell to his knees, completely and utterly broken. He ran his hands along the ground, hoping to find the gun, but it was long buried. All he could do was watch Penumbra, now a stegoceratops, moving down the beach, lamenting the loss of what very well could have been true love.

His tears became one with the ocean.


	13. Thirteenth

Penumbra often denied the existence of her heart, because she feared compassion would prevent her from avenging her mother, but now that Monsanto had left her, she was sure that there was something in her core, because it was breaking. Her sorrow, however, paled in comparison to her shame. Not only had she devoted her life to a misguided vendetta, but she had also allowed herself to latch onto the love of a man who had essentially caused her grief in the first place, further proving how deluded she was. No matter how much she tried to justify her actions, she now understood that from the very start, she didn't know what she was doing. She had been so desperate to rectify the crimes inflicted upon her people that she very nearly destroyed them. Thank god for Claire. She was right all along, as much as Penumbra hated to admit it. For this reason, she owed her an apology, but she probably wouldn't go through with one. There was no doubt that Claire would at least consider accepting it, but Penumbra was sure that she couldn't organize her thoughts in a coherent way. She might very well end up sobbing uncontrollably, which was not helpful for anyone. She much preferred the quiet approach, which involved basking in her own shame until she could figure out what to do next. There was no end game for that endeavor either, but it was all she could hope for right now.

Although Penumbra's heart was, as previously mentioned, breaking, she felt a glimmer of something quite different when she saw the stegoceratopses rising over the waves. They poured onto the beach, free at last, and Penumbra's chest fluttered. It was not a sense of accomplishment, nor was it a sense of guilt, and it was certainly not pride, but the emotion had echoes of these feelings. She could not put her sentiments into words, but at the very least, she knew that her people were free, and that was good.

So began the long march. The stegoceratopses who had died over the course of hundreds and hundreds of years traveled down the beach as a herd, seemingly with no end. Penumbra was moving in the opposite direction. Every once in a while, an outlier would laugh and ask her if she knew she was headed the wrong way, but she never replied. Eventually, though, she stopped, then turned around to join them. She lumbered among her brothers and sisters, none of whom knew who she was or what she had done. Maybe it was better that way. She could melt into the herd, become nothing more than a number, forget her identity . . . Yes, perhaps that would be wise. She didn't want to stand out, for fear that she would once again try to improve the world, only to fail miserably as she had done before.

The idea of being no one was alluring, but suddenly, Penumbra caught sight of a familiar set of plates swaying in the masses. She wasn't sure if she was seeing them correctly at first, but she moved towards the center of the herd, and her marching evolved into a jog, and her jog evolved into a gallop, and by the time she was only a few feet away, she had no doubt that she was not mistaken.

"MOTHER!"

The stegoceratops turned.

"Penny? Penny!"

They slammed together in a desperate embrace, sobbing as they met. The others wove around them, understanding that the reunion was too important to interrupt. Penumbra buried her face in her mother's chest, gasping.

"Mama, Mama . . ."

Her mother sat back on her haunches and held her, just as she had so many year ago.

"Penny! I was starting to think that I'd never see you again! You must have lived a good, long life to have stayed away for so long!"

Penumbra gulped.

"I . . . I lived a long life, but it was not a good one."

Her mother put her front foot under Penumbra's chin.

"Sweetheart . . ."

"It was my own fault," she choked, "I screwed up. I'm sorry, Mama. I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?"

"Sorry for not being able to save you. I wanted your death to mean something, to not be in vain, but-"

Her mother clicked her tongue.

"Oh, Penny. You don't have to worry about that. I died to save you. That's reason enough."

Penumbra watched the stegoceratopses marching towards the misty horizon. She hunched her shoulders and wrapped her tail around her legs.

"Oh, Mama . . . The things I've done . . ."

She closed her eyes as tightly as she could manage.

"I was so stupid, Mama. You saved my life, and I threw it away in the name of hatred and vengeance. I'm a bad person."

Her mother rocked her back and forth, stroking her frill tenderly.

"No, no . . . You're not a bad person, Penny."

She sniffled.

"I am, Mama, I am. I want to make things right again, but that's how I went wrong last time . . ."

"Sweetie, it's okay. Whatever you've done, I'll forgive you. People make mistakes."

"But my mistakes are big ones."

"Then you have to make a big apology. There's no use in calling yourself a bad person, Penny, because you're not. As long as you acknowledge your mistakes and try to make things right, you're not a bad person."

"How can I make things right, Mama?"

"That, I cannot tell you. But if you're really upset about this, and you know what you did wrong, I think you'll find that you have the answer. It may not be easy, but nothing in life ever is."

Penumbra took a deep breath. Her mother nodded to the herd, which was beginning to thin out.

"Come on, Penny. Let's not get left behind."

She lumbered away, but Penumbra did not follow. Instead, she looked up at the castle, which was beginning to crumble. It would be a matter of hours before the worlds split apart forever. Theoretically, she could leave with all the other stegoceratopses, but that would be easy. Too easy, in fact. While a part of her wanted to believe that she could live happily ever after by escaping the Beneath, the wiser part of her knew that it was only a temporary solution. Fleeing this place would not liberate her, because she was even now denying another urge, one that defied all logic. But it was real. It was real, and it was up to her to pursue it. That was her true purpose.

Penumbra broke away from the herd with regret, but kept a firm face.

"Mama, there's something I need to do."

"Can't it wait until we're out?"

Penumbra shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Mama. Go with the others. I don't want to lose you again."

She dashed away, and her mother gave a worried bellow.

"Penny! . . ."

"I'll be back, Mama, I promise!"

She tumbled into the forest. The soil shifted, but this only prompted her to run faster. As she landed on the other side of a fallen log after a particularly daring leap, she opened her beak and trumpeted, startling a flock of metal birds.

"Monsanto! Monsanto!"


	14. Fourteenth

She found Monsanto by a pond. He was looking at his reflection, she assumed, because the water was absolutely still, and he was gazing down at it. At first, she didn't think that he had noticed her, but as she drew near, tears began to trickle down his nose, agitating the surface of the water. She didn't know what to say. Was there really an appropriate way to go about consoling him? She would have to choose her words carefully, or he might get the wrong idea. But how would she even begin?

Oddly enough, she did not begin with words. Instead, she moved towards him slowly, then rested her head on his lap. He was surprised by this, but when the shock wore off, he placed his hand on her snout, as daintily as he would if he were attempting to touch a soap bubble without popping it. She slid her front foot across wet leaves, stopping by his knee. They were essentially in a relaxed knot, as any movement from either party would be impossible without the cooperation of the other. It was beautiful.

Penumbra was tempted to close her eyes and fall asleep, but instead, she gazed into the reflective pool. The image of her and Monsanto was foggy, but her eyes compensated for the transparency, and it became clear as day in her mind. This sight made her smile, though it was a subtle expression. Their pose was a tapestry in the water, and this portrait made her wonder what their life could have been, under different circumstances. Perhaps if the genocide had never occurred, they would have met by chance and started a family. That was an impossibility now. Penumbra was sterile, and while she had never told a single soul, she was sure that Monsanto knew, and was aware of how she had come to be that way. But even that wouldn't have been enough to tear them apart, because she very well could have been satisfied with his love alone. Unfortunately, his biggest mistake was the deciding factor in how their story would end. He had murdered her mother, sparking her misguided desire to punish everyone with even a hint of guilt. She could never forgive him for that . . .

. . . could she?

Well, in a way, she already had. On paper, it might seem like she had every right to despise him, but the fact of the matter was, she kind of . . . sort of . . . _really_ liked him. Over the past few days, he had proven to be a faithful companion, and while she could never forget his crime, she could try to understand what had driven him to commit such an atrocious act.

From what little she could piece together about his past, it would seem that he had been taken away from his family at a very young age, probably by soldiers. It was no wonder that he hadn't introduced himself with a last name. He had probably been stripped of his identity, just like her. This war had caused pain on both sides, and the worst part was that the scars would last far longer than the wound itself. Penumbra had spent her entire life trying to rectify the terrors she had endured, and so had Monsanto. Not only had he eventually overthrown his corrupt leader (according to Claire, who was most definitely being truthful), but he chose to help others after his death. Most importantly, he had declined the opportunity to rest in peace, instead sentencing himself to an afterlife of misery.

Penumbra understood him, at least a little. No matter how many good deeds he accomplished, it would never be enough to absolve him of his guilt. She remembered the agony in his eyes when he learned that the stegoceratops race had been wiped off the face of the Earth, and she saw her own misery reflected back at her. They wanted the same thing, in the end. For all their differences, there were ten times as many similarities . . . Well, perhaps not in their appearance, but since when did that matter? Claire had once claimed that humans and stegoceratopses were one and the same, because despite their conflicting appearances, they shared a similar genome. They were unified not by anything visible, but by the text in their blood: text that ran much deeper than words alone. The pond reflected a human and a stegoceratops, but more importantly, it reflected a man and a woman, who happened to be in love. And yes, they had been torn apart by the world around them, but ultimately, the choice to deny or accept their designated roles in society was theirs and theirs alone. Penumbra had made her decision. She lifted her head and grazed Monsanto's ear with her beak, whispering like smoke.

"Come with me."

He took a shallow breath.

"Why?"

"Because I'm asking nicely . . . and because I love you."

He was not moving, but it seemed as though he was trembling, secretly.

"Penumbra . . . I appreciate the offer, but I can't allow myself to forget what I've done. Now, more than ever, I deserve punishment. I'm staying here."

Penumbra snorted.

"Punishment? What good does punishment do? Yes, you'll suffer, but that doesn't solve anything."

"It might bring you peace."

She frowned deeply.

"Monsanto, I don't want you to be miserable. That would only make things worse."

He gulped, turning back to the pond. His reflection did not make sound, of course, but it spoke with him, regardless.

"I don't know how to make things better."

Penumbra grabbed him by the collar and stood him up forcefully.

"You can start by coming back with me. Instead of wasting your time here, you can make a _real_ difference by helping me and the rest of my people find a home. You're not leaving until I say so, okay? You owe me."

He blinked rapidly.

"Penumbra-"

"Call me Penny, and don't argue. I've made up my mind. I'll drag you, if I have to, but I'd prefer it if you'd walk on your own."

He stared at her for a very long time.

"You're serious?"

"I am. I wouldn't have come back, otherwise."

He ran his fingers through his hair, pacing back and forth with sharp steps.

"I . . . This is so complicated."

"It doesn't have to be. Come with me, and we'll work this out together."

He shook his head.

"Penny-"

She grabbed him and gave him a kiss. He flailed around in a way that resembled drowning, only he was on solid ground, and in no danger whatsoever. Penumbra ended the kiss, licked his cheek, then scooped him up with her horns. He scrambled off her face and brushed himself off.

"Fine. I'm coming. You don't have to drag me. I still think it's a bad idea, but I can always come back here if you end up regretting your decision."

She smiled.

"Something tells me I won't. We'll see, though . . ."

The earth trembled.

". . . if we make it out of here alive."


	15. Fifteenth

Penumbra thought they had time to flee. She hadn't expected their journey to be so difficult. Bits of earth were eroding away, crumbling until they tumbled into the abyss, or else floated into the heavens. It was disorienting, and more often than not, the path they intended to take would prove too unstable to walk across safely. Many times, they slipped, but they managed to grab each other for balance. It was chaos, but it got a thousand times worse when the ground began to spit fire. Penumbra was nearly scorched by a pillar of lava, but Monsanto pulled her back just in time.

"How much further?" he gasped.

"I don't know! The others went this way-"

She shrieked as a jagged stone pierced the ground, stopping inches away from her snout. Monsanto moved to avoid being stepped on, then leaned against her as she lowed in panic.

"Penny, you have to fly," he whispered.

"What?!"

"Fly. I know you can. Young stegoceratopses can't have their flight muscles clipped. They never took away your ability to fly."

Penumbra shook her head.

"I can't fly. I'm not in the greatest shape, in case you haven't noticed, and even fit stegoceratopses can't hover for long periods of time. These plates won't carry me far. I was malnourished at a crucial point in my childhood, and my bones never recovered. I'm skinny, brittle, and useless."

She spat out these words with a bitter venom that sounded very much like an accusation. Monsanto peered at the edge of the world, which was approaching them quickly, and his eyes became glazed over with hopelessness. Penumbra tugged on his sleeve before he could consider jumping.

"Hey. I didn't mean it. I'm not angry at you, just the world."

Monsanto took a deep breath.

"The world is a bad place because of people like me."

Penumbra pulled him back again, just in case.

"You're not a bad person. You made a mistake. So did I. No one is perfect."

"But how many mistakes involve murdering innocent people? I knew what I was doing. There's no excuse."

"You were just following orders . . ."

He sat down, though it was more of a fall.

"I wanted to prove that I was strong. They caught me giving the prisoners extra food, and I got reprimanded . . . It wasn't a good day for me. I thought if I could show them I was ready to- I mean-"

He grimaced.

"I _knew_ what I was doing . . ."

Penumbra gulped as the earth began to crumble away only a few meters from where they were stationed.

"Monsanto . . . We have to go . . ."

" _You_ have to go."

She tugged on his wrist.

"You're coming with me. You promised."

"I'm sorry, Penny, but let's be honest, here. You don't love me. You barely even know me."

"I know you well enough . . ."

"No, Penny. You just think you're in love with me because I've been here for you. I helped you. I guarantee that once you get out there in the real world, you'll find hundreds and hundreds of people who will do the same. You don't need me."

Penumbra stamped her foot, doing an antsy shuffle now that they were almost out of time.

"I _do_ need you. And how can you say I don't love you?"

She kissed him hard to make a point.

"See? We're in love. It's real."

He shook his head.

"No . . ."

Her face fell.

"You don't love me? . . ."

He looked into her eyes.

"I love you, Penny, but I can't allow myself to. You deserve better. I'll only hold you back."

"You're only holding me back because you refuse to move!"

He smiled.

"Go, Penny. It's okay. More than anything, I want you to be free. That's all I've ever wanted. All these years, I've been driven by the desire to liberate you. Everything I did for the stegoceratops race, futile as it was, was for your benefit. When I saw you on the other end of that ravine, I realized that I could never help you directly, as much as I wanted to. Even so, I did everything in my power to make it right. Now I'm doing it again."

She gnashed her teeth.

"I'm letting you help me. That's the difference. You need to come home with me."

"No."

"Yes!"

"I can't."

"If you love me, you will!"

"I can't love you."

She tossed her head.

"Why not?! Why are you being so stubborn?!"

He looked down, then nodded to the branded side of her flank.

"That's why."

She curled her tail around her body to cover it, then spoke softly.

"That doesn't matter."

Monsanto sighed.

"It won't go away."

"It doesn't have to. We can forget it."

"We can't just ignore-"

"We won't be ignoring it!" she insisted, "We'll be looking past it. Monsanto, I love you, and I think you love me, but this will never work if you don't try!"

"Try what? To make this thing-"

He had placed his hand on the scar tissue as he spoke, and fell silent suddenly when he noticed something peculiar. Where he touched her, dark scales appeared, covering the injury. He stared at his own hands in amazement, then brushed them over her gently until there was nothing unusual about her appearance. She examined her healed flank, and Monsanto fell back with amazement.

"It's gone."

"I let you remove it. Are you coming with me?"

After a beat, he nodded.

They continued their journey, and the path was even more perilous than before. Penumbra couldn't help but feel a little irked that Monsanto had delayed them again, but she was relieved that he seemed to be on her side now. They ran until their lungs were dry and burning, and for a moment, it seemed like they were doomed. Then, a green figure glided down from the sky and landed in front of them.

"Claire!"

"The others are all through. Hurry, or you won't make it out."

Claire flung Monsanto onto her back, then galloped beside Penumbra, who was very confused by her arrival.

"Why did you come back if the others are safe?"

"Your mother told me where you were going. Well, she explained what happened, anyway, and I put the pieces together. I waited for you by the exit, but you were taking so long that I thought you might be lost."

"How did you know I went after Monsanto?"

"Like I said before, I put the pieces together."

"But didn't it surprise you that I'd do such a thing?"

"No. Lily had been following you for quite some time before you reached the castle. Considering what she told me, as well as what your mother said, there was no doubt that you intended to save him."

Penumbra ran in silence for a while, then took a deep breath (as deep as she could manage while running, anyway).

"I'm sorry for everything I did, Claire."

"Don't be. I understand. And you were right about many things. All three of us share a common goal, you know. Once we get out, I promise to help your people in any way I can."

"Do you know what to do?"

"I have a few ideas. I own quite a bit of land in the country, so the first logical step would be to relocate you there. I know some people who can whip up decent housing-"

The earth fissured in front of them. Claire lifted Penumbra across with great difficulty, then landed on the other side and continued to run.

"Maybe we should discuss this later."

They tore across the land until a glowing loop appeared through the dust. Claire gave a loud trumpet.

"There!"

The portal was at the top of a rocky hill. Penumbra barely noticed the slant. She could see a clear blue sky, and nothing was about to get in her way as she pursued it.

But then she was pulled back by a giant, cloven hoof. At first, she thought the entelodon had returned, but when she looked up, she saw the face of a bull.

"You belong to me."

Claire had almost leapt into the other world, but she noticed Penumbra's absence and turned to help her. Monsanto attempted to follow, but she pushed him through the portal and gave him a warning snort. Penumbra writhed around under the bull's hoof, reaching out for Claire as she drew near.

"Let her go!"

The bull growled.

"Never. She's mine."

"Then I'll fight you."

The bull released Penumbra, instead charging towards Claire. She flew away from the portal, leading him deeper into the all-but-destroyed world.

"RUN!"

Penumbra scrambled up to the portal. Claire made a loop, but the bull was hot on her tail. Literally. He caught her by one spike, holding her in place. Penumbra watched helplessly as she was dragged backwards in midair.

"Claire!"

"Go! I'll be fine! Hurry!"

Penumbra stepped through the portal, but waited for Claire on the other side. Claire was released from the bull's grasp, but when she reached the exit, she did not go through.

"Penumbra, he's right. He legally owns you. I have to fight him."

"You'll be killed!"

"Either way, you'll be free. I hope you can forgive me, someday."

The portal closed suddenly. Penumbra couldn't believe her eyes.

"Wait! Claire! Don't go!"

She fumbled around for the doorway, but it was gone. There was nothing but grass. Grass from the world of the living. It didn't feel as sweet as she had anticipated.

"Claire! I forgive you! Don't go! I'm not worth it!"

She felt tears stinging at her eyes.

"Oh god . . ."

Monsanto put his hand on her shoulder.

"She chose her death long ago. There's nothing you could have done."

Nearby, Owen noticed their sudden appearance. He jogged over with his hands in his pockets.

"Hey. I see you made it out okay. The others are just over that ridge. Where's Claire?"

Penumbra wailed and covered her eyes. Seeing her distress, Monsanto spoke for her.

"Claire is still in the other world. She's fighting a giant bull."

Owen's eyes went wide.

"Oh my god! She'll never survive a fight after using so much magic to bring us there in the first place! What were you _thinking_?"

"She chose to stay behind. We had nothing to do with it."

Owen lifted him by the collar, spitting as he spoke.

"My wife is in danger. This could have been prevented. Tell me everything you know, so I can go after her."

Suddenly, there was a shrill scream, muffled by a layer of rock and fire. A burning object that looked very much like a meteor was cutting across the sky, and its trajectory seemed to indicate that it would be a good idea to duck in a few seconds. The object collided with the earth, sending clumps of dirt flying. From the smoking crater, Claire emerged, brandishing a fresh pair of antlers instead of her usual horns.

"I'm alive! I'm ali-i-i-ive!" she croaked.

She swayed to and fro like a drunkard, and Owen dashed forward to hug her neck.

"You won!"

She shook her head dazedly.

"No. I lost. Quite badly, in fact. But I'm back now. And I have things on my head."

"Antlers?"

"Yeah, that."

Penumbra sniffled and wiped her snout with the back of her front foot.

"Claire-"

"It's alright. I heard you. Everything is going to be okay. We just have to walk a few miles, then the stegoceratopses can settle . . . What's the plural of stegoceratops? I've just been saying stegoceratopses . . ."

"That's fine," Penumbra said with a gentle laugh, "You can call us whatever you want. You're our Queen, after all."

Claire shook her head, still dizzy from the fall.

"No, no. That's not right. I shouldn't."

Penumbra shrugged.

"You're Queen of the Universe, which makes you our Queen. I'm okay with that."

Claire smiled and tried to put her front foot on Penumbra's shoulder, but missed by a mile. She fell on her side and moaned.

"Oh . . . I came back too quickly."

Owen smiled and lifted her. He was like a toothpick supporting an olive.

"I'll carry you the rest of the way. You've done quite enough already."

Claire nodded vacantly and curled up in a ball to make his task easier. She peeked over his shoulder at Penumbra, who trailed behind them with Monsanto by her side.

"Does this mean we're friends now?" Claire slurred.

Penumbra smiled.

"Yes. I think it does."


	16. Last

Claire was in desperate need of a nap, but she did not rest until the stegoceratopses were safe. She brought them to the land that surrounded her cabin and gave a long, confused speech that didn't make much sense. Her words were starting to muddle, and her tongue wasn't quite responding to her commands. She apologized for this, but no one really cared. They were well aware that she was in no state to be speaking publicly, and although many of them wished to thank her for her deeds, they abstained from disturbing her, instead sharing each other's warmth in a scaly quilt that went on for miles. Only a single stegoceratops dared greet her that evening. Claire seemed to know the child from somewhere, though Penumbra wasn't sure when they had met and why they seemed so close. In any case, that didn't matter now. The infant waddled away to her parents, and Claire retired to her room. Owen did not join her, because he was busy assisting the stegoceratopses with their needs. Penumbra, however, followed her upstairs, standing guard by her bed like a watchdog. She wasn't sure that Claire knew she was there, because she had laid down on the mattress without saying a word, but just when she appeared to be sleeping, she spoke gently.

"Penny? . . ."

"Yes?"

"I wanted to thank you."

"For what?"

"I don't know, exactly, but I think I ought to."

Penumbra cocked her head.

"Okay . . . But I should thank you first. You saved me . . . in more ways than one."

Claire waved her foot droopily, still barely lucid.

"No, no . . . You're just being nice. I'm glad to help."

There was a long silence. Claire snorted gently.

"Penny, I think I might need to sleep now."

"Go ahead."

"In the morning, we should talk. I've been thinking about things, and I need help with stuff. Can you help me?"

"Like an assistant, you mean?"

"Yes, that's the word. Anyway, you don't have to decide now, but don't leave until we have a chance to talk this through, okay?"

Penumbra nodded.

"Okay."

"Good."

Claire fell asleep shortly after. Penumbra did not intend to leave, as Claire suspected. In fact, she was pretty sure that her answer to Claire's question was "yes".

***TLS***

In the welcoming glow of a summer's day, the stegoceratopses watched their new homes being erected across Claire's ranch. Humans and raptors from another world built the houses, and Claire insisted that no stegoceratops should be made to work. Not for now, at least, since they weren't being paid. She would have to come up with a way to integrate them into the modern world eventually. Truth be told, she didn't have much of a plan. There was no harm in that: as long as stegoceratopses ran free, she was happy. All that was left now was the loose ends. Claire had already scolded Luke for disobeying her, but hardly anything stuck with him at all. What was a mother to do with a starry-eyed boy who was reckless enough to brave the depths of the Beneath for someone he only knew through text? Well, at least June was back. She'd gone to the other world, apparently, and Claire was ready to check up on her, considering she was planning to visit said world very soon. All she needed was her assistant.

"Penny!"

The stegoceratops turned, stood up, and trotted away from where she, her mother, and Monsanto had been having a picnic. They were getting along well, it seemed, though Claire couldn't guess what was happening behind closed doors. She imagined there were still issues that needed to be resolved, but the three of them were well on their way to coming to terms with what had happened so many years ago. Monsanto, after all, had learned to sleep with the lights on, so that Penumbra would never again have to find herself in the darkness that haunted her memory.

"Claire, this is better than I ever could have imagined. I always dreamed that my people would find a place to live, but . . . God, this is _perfect_."

Claire nudged her playfully with her beak.

"Don't set your hopes so high. There's no such thing as perfection."

"Still, this is where survival ends and life begins. I owe you, Claire."

"You don't. I think we've both made enough mistakes that we ought to just call it even for now."

"Sounds good to me."

Suddenly, a green reptile came skittering up to them. She was gurgling with worry.

"Claire, I have to tell you something. You didn't exit the Beneath alone. I was in my hot air balloon when this big, shadowy thing-"

"Sarah, I'm kind of busy."

"Yes, but this shadowy thing looked very evil."

Claire gave Penumbra a side glance. They both had an idea of what this monster was.

"It's okay, Sarah," Claire affirmed, "It can only latch onto someone with darkness in their heart, and I'm pretty sure I don't surround myself with evil people."

Sarah gulped.

"Claire, that thing looked _bad_."

"It's _very_ bad. Downright evil, in fact. But I've defeated it before, and it can't possibly possess anyone powerful enough that I won't be able to put an end to them. Relax. I have this covered."

At the time, it sounded like the kind of thing that would come back to haunt her. She couldn't have known just how accurate her sentiments were.

In any case, she was far too busy to concern herself with evil shadows at the moment, so she traveled to the other world for a meeting that was long overdue. Penumbra joined her, of course, as well as Owen, Lily, and Luke. Together, they entered a large library on the top floor of a palace, where a very grumpy dragon was waiting for them. She gave a curt nod, then flicked her tail like a baton.

"Claire, Penny, Lily, Other Child, Owen . . . It's a pleasure to see you again, especially since I was met with hostility when I tried to assist you in your endeavors."

Owen smiled sheepishly.

"My memory was kaput. How was I supposed to know who you were?"

The dragon rolled her eyes.

"Whatever. I'll let it go this once, but don't think you can get away with these things just because you're hot."

Owen chose not to react.

The dragon climbed a ladder and pulled a book off the top shelf. After blowing dust off the cover, she handed it to Claire.

"I think you'll find that the key to this wing-antler mystery is inside. You'd better appreciate this book, too, because I spent hours looking for it in the Asterparan library."

"Then why was it in _this_ library on the top shelf?"

"More dramatic. That's why I covered it in dust, too."

Claire opened the book on a nearby table and frowned. The pages were adorned with strange symbols, unlike anything she had seen in her entire life.

"What language is this?"

"No idea. Something new to us, but old to the Universe. You'll have to learn how to translate it. I have a vague idea about what it could mean, but I'm too lazy to go through it all."

Owen peeked over Claire's shoulder.

"Whatever it is, the magic is strange. We've come back from the dead more than once with random appendages-"

"Not random," the dragon corrected, "There's a pattern. It's the will of The Star. Whatever is going on here, it's important."

Claire flipped to the last page, then close the book with a heavy thud.

"Well, this will take a long time to translate, but I'm up to the task. Of course, I'll be busy with other things . . ."

Penumbra skidded over on her haunches eagerly, like a dog on a Slip-n-Slide.

"I can help. That's what I'm here for. We can take turns translating."

Claire sighed uncertainly.

"Sounds good. I just don't know where to start."

With this, the dragon smirked and handed her a piece of paper.

"Luckily for you, I already translated the most important word."

Claire looked at it and nodded.

"Yes, I don't think I could have gotten this one on my own."

Owen yanked the paper from her front feet, but handed it back to her in less than a second.

"That's not a real word."

The dragon shrugged gently.

"Not to us. Perhaps the knowledge of its significance has been lost-"

"-but that's why we're going to find out what it means," Claire finished.

And with that, she tucked away the paper that read "Triskmenonthion".

 **The End**


End file.
